Reversible target



Jam. W, MEG A. W. SMITH 2 REVERSIBLE TARGEI I Filed May 51, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

Jan. w, 1959 A. W. SMITH 2,494,210

REVERSIBLE TARGET Filed May 31, 1 945 ZSheetS-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sin-w. siii fi fifiiitiiii flnG.

son, administrator of said Alvin W. Smith, dega sed, 'assi'gnor "to Emma L. Bauer, Cincinnati,

Application May-31, 1945, Serial No. 596,925

invention relates "to improvements in movable targets primarily for military, police and civilian training and practice the development of skill and accuracy for subduing an adversary in combat or hostile and belligerent.

The target, therefore, primarily is in placard form, outlined in plan in simulation of a human bodyfrom-the nec'k'to the Iimbs'preferably without arms suspendingly sustained (from a trolley, 'for transporting in either of alternate directions and maneuvering in which the'iorward posture is positioned in the direction oftrav'el.

An object of the invention is'to'provide an ap- Jpara't'us for sustaining and linearly conveying a target in alternate directions, quickly and'easily erected for field or indoor range service, the target under an extended control (from a safety point as at a suitable distance forward from the target.

Another object of the invention is "to'provide a movable target iniplan having an outline in simulation of a 'human bodyftrolley suspended and transportable "for transit in alternate directions and reversible'for-ohang'ing the direction of target transit and effectively controlled against displacement by heavy "wind pressure.

Another obi ect is to provide a plurality of targets sustained and moved in unity and correspondingly controlled by a controller operated by a single attendantfor simultaneously 's'ervic- Figure 7 is an 'emarged'broken front elevation of asingl'e target headed "-in' arevers'e direction from that shown'in Figure 6.

Figure '8 is a section cnIine"8-'B ,Ffigure 6. I Figure '9 iS aplan view Of "a modified formof stanchion to which the lower end of the target is clipped.

Referring tothe drawingsiiiostrating "the apparatus of knock down and portable "form for ready placement "for nem'semce, *li, indicates i'illaim. '(Cl. 273-1052) a p'airo'f standards or vertical supports "each 55 constituting a pair of relatively an'gular'disposed posts or uprights connected at their upper ends with their lower ends resting upon or embedded into the ground. The standards, support and are connected by a span of a trolley wire or cable 2, connecting with the top ends of the standards and from the standards continue outwardly'and downwardly therefrom in aguy extension to and for anchoring respectively to pegs 3, driven into the earth, securely bracing the'standards and for tautly stretching the spanning section of the trolley wire. A base trolley wire 4, parallelwith the spanning section of the upper trolley wire 2, and in alignment therewith in a taut and stretched condition, slightly elevated from the plane of the earth, has its opposite ends connected or attached respectively to the anchoring pegs 3. The lower trolley strand tintermediate of the standards, rests upon supports ii-"5, bearing upon the earths surface to'stabilize the strand and maintain its active position at a determined spacing or elevation from the earth.

The trolley wire supporting structure is :disclosed in a most simple form of knock down type for compact folding and portability adapted to be easily and quickly erected for field or other service, although other means may be employed for permanent field orother locations, it being obvious that various methods may be employed for tautly-mounting a pair of suitably spaced and parallel trolley lines.

The upper horizontal trolley wire or cable 2, provides "a track fora trolley or carriages, constituting a rod having a bracketor hanger 1, respectively fixed to each 'of opposite ends and jo-urnalin'g aperipheral-ly --grooved roller for riding upon the trolley wire oroablei. The rod for'the carriage may bema-de in various lengths for sustaining either one or a plurality of targets removably and adjustably clipped thereon and for selectively adjusting the-relative spacing of a plurality of targets upon a single carriage.

A target 8, generally of -a--corrugated pa-per "board material, 'inpl-an, isciit to an outline in simulation oi'a human body in s'tand-ingpr erect posture, presenting -a-fore=edge9, and a-rear edge 10, and normally disposed andsuspendedvertically or 'perpendicirlarly from the carriage or trolley. A lo'ose' score or ta l-Icy sheet is removably applied respectively over both the opposite race sides of the ta-rgetior shooter identification and has "appropriate diagram-andscale indieia printed thereon. The topand bottom ends cl-the target are reinforced 'by-a suitable binding. The top end'oi the target has 'acl'ip i1, rem'ovably clipped or clamped thereto, the clip being connected to one end of a pliable or flexible strap l2, which correspondingly at its opposite end has attached thereto a second spring clip H, for removable attachment to the rod 6, of the carriage or trolley. The clips H, are of conventional construction, in general constituting a pair of opposing hingedly connected jaws, spring urged for automatically moving the jaws toward each other and compressively binding and connecting to an element interposed between the jaws.

The lower end of the target is removably secured by a pair of spring clips I 1-! l, to the upper or head end of a stanchion l3, preferably of T-form, constituting a pair of spaced parallel bars or strips fixed at one end to a cross bar 14, to which the clips H are hingedly attached. The opposite or lower end of the stanchion carries a flat spring swivel snap l5, connecting with a roller hanger l5, engaged with the lower trolley wire or cable 4.

A radial arm ii, at its inner end is engaged between the vertical bars of the stanchion and pivotally connected thereto. The arm normally extends horizontally or angularly declined from the stanchion and in the direction of target travel, and provides the means for reversing or alternating the position of the target in a change in direction of travel. The forward end of the arm ll, connects with a pull rope or draw line for drawing and maneuvering the target, the line extending through an aperture in the arm and as illustrated in Figure 8, for a single target has its end attached or fixed to the end of a second radial arm disposed at right angles to the arm IT, and removably fixed to the stanchion. For a single target a pair of opposing draw lines iii-19, traverse the aperture through the forward end of the radial arm I7, and each from the arm extends therefrom at an angle in opposite directions and to relative opposite sides of the target and are respectively connected to the free end of an anchoring rod 26, fixed to the stanchion and extending at right angles or laterally relative to the opposite face sides of the target.

For duplex targets connected in unity, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the forward ends of the stanchion radial arms ll, respectively of each target are connected by a tie rod 2 I, and the draw line for one direction of pull extends through the aperture of the stanchion arm of one target and is secured to the anchoring rod 20, thereof, while the opposing draw line for imparting a reverse direction of travel correspondingly connects with the stanchion arm and anchoring rod of a second target. From the target or targets the draw lines l8i9, extend relatively in opposite directions and are engaged about a grooved pulley of a pulley block 22, attached to a respective standard, and thence the lines are directed towards each other to a common tackle or Windlass 23.

The structure of the Windlass is optional and preferably of a type which can be conveniently carried by an operator, positioned from the target at a suitable distance therefrom for safety and non-interference to the shooter. In general, it embodies a pair of pulleys z t-24, unitarily in driving connection with a shaft operated by a crank handle 25. The draw lines are wound upon the respective pulleys in an arrangement which will provide for the winding of one while unwinding the other uiformly, the action alternately depending upon the direction of rotation of the crank handle. The operator arbitrarily controls the degree of tension or slack in the lines 4 by any slight change in his distance position from the target to meet the manipulating requirements and speed at which he elects to operate and avoid any snarling of the lines. It allows considerable latitude for the operator to vary the operating control and target manipulation through slight changes in his position. The target moves in a direction depending upon which of the draw lines is under winding tension,and the direction of target travel can be quickly changed and responsive by imposing tension from one to the other of draw lines.

Assuming that the winding tension is on the draw line [8, the directional force will move the radial arms of the targets in line therewith, bringing the front edge of the target coordinately to head in the direction of travel, in which instance the target would be moved or conveyed to the left. Imposing a drawing tension on the line [9, the position of the target will be immediately reversed, exposing an opposite face side to the shooter as the radial arms, to extend in line with the direction of travel, would be pulled from one side to the other, reversing the position of the target which is free to swing about due to the flexible connections, by means of the strap 12, to the trolley or carriage.

In Figure 6, the parts are shown in a position movin to the left, while in Figure '7, they are reversed for moving'to the right. The transit, its rate of speed, and maneuvering of the target are solely under the discretion of the operator, so that the shooter can be kept constantly unaware of target movement, and which can be governed to require high skill to meet a proper scoring within certain prescribed limits of time, and desired speed equal to the fastest of human movements.

The target, being'guided at both its top and bottom ends, at the top by a pair of spaced hangers and at the bottom by a single hanger or pulley block, is provided with extreme freedom in transit, permitting the same to be easily conveyed at an excessively high rate. The top and bottom connections hold the target erect against extreme high wind pressures to which it may be exposed when positioned in an open field.

The double connection of the draw line with the target through the radial arm and a relatively angularly disposed anchoring rod permits an operator to maintain a reversing control under severe wind pressure against which one alone may not be effective. The draw line connection between the radial arm and anchoring rod of a target is approximately taut and normally the radial arm alone'would be effective for an appropriate reverse exposure of the target. Should, however, a face side, in making a shift, become exposed broad side to the sharp or high wind pressure, there would be a tendency to advance the target in an askew position so that its control would be lost; I Under such conditions the pulling stress is transferred to the rod disposed at an angle to the radial arm as from the rear side of the target; imposing a twisting tendency thereto to bring the target beyond the broad side exposure to the, wind and to a'more or less wind deflecting position or beyond a controlling influence of the wind; v i

For a knock down feature the radial arm of the stanchion is pivotally mounted to fold downward between and parallel with the bars and it is locked in its erected position by a wedge 26, interposed between the inner end of the arm and the top cross bar M, of the stanchion and to which the wedge is tied. The anchoring rod is frictionally fitted into the head of the stanchion and, therefore, is readily removable therefrom.

In the modification shown in Figure 9, the wedge 26, is eliminated and the pivoted end of the arm i1, is outlined to swing and bind against the underside of the cross bar l4, when the arm is in an active position and preferably inclined from a horizontal plane, with the operating lines connected thereto as previously described.

Upon operation of the Windlass or other form of power means, the target or targets can be traversed at will in either of alternate directions a desired rate of speed and under the complete control of the operator. A shift from one direction to a reverse can be instantly made at any point for the maximum length of target travel. It can be arrested at any point and drawn to a half-way condition to only expose the edge of the target to the shooter for a misshot.

The target, being clipped to its supporting devices, is readily replaceable for substitution to advancely apply a set of scoring sheets thereon.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A movable target, comprising a trolley line and a guy line in parallelism with the trolley line and determinately spaced therefrom, a trolley transmittingly mounted on said trolley line, a target interposed between said trolley and guy lines having its upper end in flexible and detachable connection with said trolley, a stanchion at one end removably connected to the lower end of said target and its opposite end in swiveled, detachable and transmitting connection with said guy line and having a plurality of radial arms extended therefrom, one in plane with the target and the other extending respectively from each of the opposite face sides of the target, and a tackle for translating the target on said trolley and guy lines in alternate directions from a remote point, having a pair of lines extended therefrom each respectively having an end portion extending along the trolley and guy lines from relative opposite ends thereof and in connection with said arm in plane with the target and an arm extending from the face side of the target to translate the target and expose the face side to which it connects to a shooting point.

ALVIN W. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 495,371 Rice Apr. 11, 1893 2,290,297 Smith July 21, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,648 Great Britain June 17, 1899 

